Prank

[Richard]

No: HPFGUIDX 80223

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Rebecca Stephens 
<rsteph1981 at y...> wrote:
<snip>
> Not to be a brat, but there is a difference between
> the things you are describing and what the Marauders
> did.  What you describe put chiefly you and your
> friends, the people who chose to do these things, in
> danger.  Not others.  There's a world of difference.
> 
> 
> Rebecca

... to which I (Richard) say ...

Let's just say that we DID occasionally put others at risk, but I'm 
keeping my mouth shut.  Nobody died, but I'm not sure that the odd 
parent or two might not have me hunted down and my legs broken if 
they knew some of the things we did to their precious scions.  We 
didn't INTEND to risks others lives, or even to seriously harm them, 
let alone without their knowledge, but then we were kids, and didn't 
quite understand the potential consequences of some of those actions.

And think about that dart in the back of my head.  This wasn't your 
your timid little dart-board dart, but a rather heavy, very sharp 
blowgun dart, the likes of which we actually killed some small furry 
beasts with so we could cook and eat them.  We made them ourselves, 
and they were remarkably lethal ... and accurate.  The reason I had 
that dart in the back of my head was because one of the others 
thought he'd like to see me jump a bit, and wasn't quite as accurate 
as he thought he'd be.  I was shot without warning, and it took a bit 
of effort to dislodge that thing.  Had I turned when he shot, I could 
easily have lost an eye.

That friend of mine just didn't think about what might happen if he 
DID hit me.  He didn't intend it, and was profusely apologetic, but 
that doesn't change the fact that it was a complete surprise, hurt a 
good deal, and could well have come off much worse.  I know it was 
stupid now, but not just because I matured into understanding it was 
stupid.  Rather, I had a dart sticking out of my head to make the 
point extra memorable.

Somehow, I think Sirius might well have thought that the worst that 
might happen would be that Snape would soil himself, and get away 
after using a few of those curses he was famous for.  He might well 
have been disappointed that James short-circuited the prank, but 
still a bit pleased that Snape still had a bit of a scare.  Had it 
gone much worse, I'm sure he would have felt badly about it, despite 
Snape being the victim.  But I doubt he INTENDED to KILL Snape, even 
if it was much easier for Dumbledore and Snape to see it that way.


Richard